


Better Alone

by sandersonsister



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Discrimination, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, Pack Dynamics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-07-20 22:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16147175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandersonsister/pseuds/sandersonsister
Summary: Tobio and his alphas face discrimination because of their three way bond. It has come to the point where they really need help but none of them want to accept it. But Tobio has an idea. What if they joined the pack that his friends were part of?A story of moving past a hard situation, the friends that help along the way, and a family being formed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I didn't wait long. Sorry to those still commenting on what story I should start! Lol. I hope you all enjoy the first part!

Tobio shifted anxiously as he stared at his alphas. They were both doing that thing, the one where they looked at each other and seemed to have a full-on conversation without actually saying anything. Tobio knew that they weren’t happy. He knew that it would be difficult for them to accept but…but they needed it.

 

They really didn’t have any other options at this point.

 

“Tobio-chan-“

 

“We don’t have any money,” Tobio said lowly but bluntly. Iwaizumi flinched. “We aren’t going to be able to stay here much longer. We all know that. Shoyou said that they have plenty of room.”

 

They did it again.

 

You would think, after seven years, Tobio would be able to figure out what they were saying.

 

Iwaizumi let out a sigh and Oikawa threw his hands up in the air. “Fine. Tell us about this…pack. Newly formed, right? And people that you know?”

 

Tobio nodded quickly, happy that they were at least listening to him. They really were in a bad situation and they all knew that it wasn’t going to get any better. Oikawa was the only one working and his salary wasn’t enough to support the three of them. Especially with Iwaizumi’s student loans on top of everything else. And Tobio’s pills.

 

It would be horrible if he got pregnant right now.

 

There was no way they could afford to support a pup.

 

So the pills were necessary.

 

But they were also another expense.

 

“Kuroo-san was the captain of Nekoma in my first year,” Tobio told them quickly before they could change their minds. “Bokuto-san was the captain of Fukurōdani.”

 

“Bokuto Kotarou? He was one of the top aces, right?” Oikawa mused, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he tried to recall the name.

 

Tobio nodded. “Top five. Anyway, Kuroo-san and Kenma-san, he was the setter for Nekoma, mated after Kenma-san graduated from high school. Bokuto-san and Akaashi-san did as well. I don’t really know what happened but they ended up forming a pack during their second year of University. Tsukishima became friends with them during our first year at Karasuno and he and Shoyou joined last year.”

 

“They mated young,” Iwaizumi commented, glancing at Oikawa. Tobio inwardly scowled. He had wanted to mate during his second year of University, a year after the three of them had begun their courtship, but Oikawa had refused to do so until they had all graduated. So, after four years of courting, they had mated on the night of Tobio’s graduation.

 

That was three years ago.

 

“Yamaguchi and Yachi joined a few months after Tsukishima and Shoyou. They had been having trouble as well. Yachi is really…she gets nervous.”

 

“I remember,” Iwaizumi nodded, his eyebrows drawing together worriedly.

 

“Shoyou says that it’s nice because she’s never really alone,” Tobio told him, appealing to his inner doctor. “I mean, someone is always at the pack house. Uh, Lev and Yaku-san are the only other pair. Yaku-san was the libero for Nekoma in my first year. Lev is my age and played middle blocker.”

 

“A pack of volleyball players,” a smile flickered at the corner of Iwaizumi’s lips as he said the words. Tobio nodded yet again and glanced at Oikawa. He was still staring at nothing, his eyes directed toward the wall behind Tobio. Tobio knew he wasn’t ignoring him – he was deep in thought. Most likely analyzing each and every bit of information Tobio told them.

 

“Shoyou says they play sometimes. All of them. That would be fun.”

 

Iwaizumi sighed and looked toward Oikawa as well. “Who is the head alpha?” Oikawa finally asked.

 

“Kuroo-san.”

 

“And you trust him?”

 

Tobio shifted yet again but said the first thing that came to mind. “Yes. He was always nice to me. And I like Kenma.”

 

Oikawa finally pulled his eyes away from the wall and looked at Iwaizumi. “What do you think?”

 

Iwaizumi’s eyes were hard as he responded. “I think Tobio’s right about us not being able to do this much longer. We need help and Tobio’s always been close to Shoyou. Maybe we could meet with them and get a feel for this pack of theirs. We don’t have to decide now.”

 

Oikawa’s shoulders hunched but he nodded his head. “Right. Okay,” he took a deep breath and focused his eyes on Tobio. “Can you get me Kuroo’s contact information, Tobio-chan? I’ll call him tonight.” A smile broke out on Tobio’s face and Oikawa sent him a small one back in return. Not the faux, charismatic smile he saved for people around him but his real smile.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Don’t thank us yet,” Iwaizumi warned, reaching out and latching onto Tobio’s hand. Their fingers slid together easily, years of practice taking over. “We haven’t made a decision yet. But we’re willing to think about it.”

 

“Good enough,” Tobio responded. Iwaizumi squeezed his hand and Oikawa leaned forward to press a quick kiss on the top of Tobio’s head.

 

“Go on then.”

 

Tobio bit his lip and slipped out of Iwaizumi’s hold, his hand reaching for his phone as he walked into the one and only bedroom in their tiny apartment. He sank down on their bed, the only item able to fit in the small room, and clicked on Shoyou’s contact information. “Tobio-kun?” Shoyou answered on the first ring, his voice high and excited. “Did you talk to them? What did they say?”

 

“Oikawa wants to speak to Kuroo,” Tobio told him, his own smile wide as he said the words. Shoyou cheered loudly and began to talk excitedly to someone beside him. A familiar, cool voice responded and Tobio wasn’t even slightly surprised to realize that his friend was speaking to his mate.

 

“That’s great! I’ll tell Kuroo-san to expect the call! I’ve mentioned it a few times so he won’t really be surprised.”

 

Tobio’s smile fell slightly. “Oh. Did you tell him why…”  


“No,” Shoyou responded, his voice dropping until he was almost whispering into the receiver. “Just that you guys were having some problems. But…well, they know that you’re mated to Iwaizumi-san and Oikawa-san. So I think they’ve probably figured it out.”

 

Tobio winced. Right. Well, at least Kuroo was still going to give them a chance even knowing that.

 

It was more than most people did.

 

“He’s probably going to want to meet with you,” Shoyou said, his voice rising once again. “I mean, even though he knew me and Kei he still wanted us to come to dinner and talk about everything. He did the same to Yamaguchi and Hitoka. Are you guys going to be okay to get here?”

 

Tobio hesitated and bit his lip as he did a quick calculation. Three train tickets to Tokyo wasn’t cheap but he was sure they could find a way to afford it. They might end up just eating rice for the month but they would find a way.

 

As long as Oikawa’s conversation with Kuroo went okay.

 

“I think so,” he finally replied. “Yeah, we should be fine.”

 

There was silence for a moment but then Shoyou sighed. “Alright. Just tell me if it’s a problem, okay? We can help-“

 

“It’ll be fine,” Tobio said quickly. No matter how bad things were, he really didn’t like accepting help from his friends. Neither did Iwaizumi and Oikawa – that was the reason they were having such a hard time agreeing to this. Tobio understood that. But a pack wasn’t the same as accepting charity.

 

They could make this work.

 

He hoped.

 

“Anyway, Kuroo-san’s information?” Tobio asked again, reminding his friend of the reason for his call. Shoyou quickly rattled off the number and Tobio scrambled to find a pen and piece of paper. He finally found a random bill that was on the floor for some reason and he scribbled the number down, pointedly ignoring the fact that the bill was yet another late notice. Tobio thanked his friend yet again and Shoyou cheered once more before they ended the call. Tobio hurried back into the living room, where Oikawa and Iwaizumi were curled up together on their small couch, and handed Oikawa the paper. “I’ll start dinner,” Tobio said quickly as the paper slid from his hand and into Oikawa’s.

 

“I’ll help,” Iwaizumi sighed, kissing Oikawa quickly before standing. He pressed a gentle hand on Tobio’s lower back and the two walked the few short steps into the small kitchen. Tobio always enjoyed it when Iwaizumi or Oikawa helped him cook but it was a difficult thing to do – they could barely fit two people in their kitchen.

 

All three of them cooking together was completely out of the question.

 

“What do we have?” Iwaizumi asked quietly as Oikawa walked into the bedroom.

 

Tobio bit his lip as he looked in the refrigerator. “Uh,” he stammered, quickly closing the door and reaching for the cupboard instead. He winced. “Rice? We have some vegetables…”

 

Tobio didn’t look Iwaizumi’s way as he said the words but he could feel the other man wincing. “Right. Sounds great.”

 

It didn’t. They both knew it. It was the same thing they always had toward the end of the month when they couldn’t afford anything else. But none of them ever complained.

 

At least they had food.

 

The two worked together in silence and soon the food was complete. Iwaizumi placed it in dishes and they walked toward the living room, placing the food on the coffee table and sitting on the floor. Their apartment wasn’t big enough for any sort of dining table and their only couch really wasn’t comfortable enough to sit on while eating.

 

They waited patiently for another few minutes and then Oikawa emerged from the bedroom. He sent them both a tight smile as he sank down onto the floor and picked up a pair of chopsticks. They all began to eat silently, Tobio glancing at Oikawa every few seconds. He wanted to know how the conversation went. He wanted to know what Oikawa was thinking. He glanced at Iwaizumi and found that his alpha was staring at him. Iwaizumi shook his head slightly and motioned toward Tobio’s food. Tobio dropped his eyes and lifted some of the rice…and then glared when he noticed that his portion was suddenly a lot larger than it had been moments before. And Iwaizumi’s was significantly lower. But the alpha just raised his eyebrows and pointed toward the food again. Tobio sighed.

 

It wasn’t until they finished eating and Tobio had taken the dishes to the kitchen that Oikawa began to speak lowly to Iwaizumi. Tobio watched them warily, wanting to know what they were saying, but he didn’t want to intrude. His alphas needed to figure this out and he would wait until they did.

 

For now, anyway.

 

“Tobio-chan,” Oikawa called a few minutes later. Tobio instantly dropped the dish he was cleaning into the sink and scurried toward the alphas. Oikawa grabbed him around the waist as he drew close and pulled him down into his lap. Tobio shifted slightly, curling up on Oikawa’s lap and resting his head against his alphas shoulder. His legs moved to rest against Iwaizumi, who lightly wrapped a large hand around his ankle. “We’re going to Tokyo tomorrow night to have dinner with Kuroo and the pack,” he said lowly. Tobio sank into the embrace. He had been so worried that Oikawa and Kuroo would argue and his alpha would refuse to have anything to do with the pack. “I’ll take the afternoon off and we should be able to leave around three or so. If all goes well, Kuroo has offered us a room for the night. If not, I’m sure we can catch a train back tomorrow night.”

 

Tobio bit his lip. He would be sure to pack for the three of them.

 

He wanted it to go well.

 

“What did Chibi-chan tell you about how things work in the pack, Tobio-chan?”

 

Tobio shrugged against Oikawa’s chest. “He said that the income goes into a group fund. Tsukishima is an accountant and he takes care of all the finances. Kuroo deals with the pack stuff, claims and challenges,” his nose scrunched at the words. Challenges were outdated and disgusting but that didn’t stop people from challenging for a mated omega. “And he works in a lab somewhere. Bokuto is on the National team,” Tobio said, his voice dropping and sting of pain flowing throughout his body. Oikawa’s arms tightened around him. “Akaashi-san is a journalist. Shoyou works in a coffee shop not too far from the packhouse. Kenma-san is a graphic designer and works from home. Hitoka is a photographer. And, um, Yamaguchi is a manager at some office or something. I don’t really know much about Lev and Yaku-san. Uh, I think Hitoka does a lot of the cooking. Shoyou has mentioned going shopping a few times…”

 

“They all pitch in where they can,” Oikawa said quietly. “They support one another. Us being there might make things difficult for them. I’m not saying this to upset you but I want you to think about it, alright? We can talk about it more tomorrow.”

 

Tobio swallowed hard and pressed his face deeper into Oikawa’s neck as Iwaizumi’s hand began to run up and down his leg. Oikawa tilted his head slightly and Tobio took in a deep breath, feeling himself calm as his alphas spicy scent began to wash over him. Of course they would make things more difficult for the pack. Why would Tobio think it would be any different? But…but they already knew that and they still wanted to meet them. So maybe they didn’t think it would be that bad?

 

Or maybe they just didn’t know how bad it really was.

 

“We just don’t want you to get your hopes up,” Iwaizumi said softly, shifting on the couch so he was pressed right up against Oikawa and his own head was resting on Oikawa’s other shoulder. His eyes were even with Tobio’s. “This is…something we are going to try but there are many things that they don’t know. Just don’t be too disappointed if it doesn’t work out, alright?”

 

Tobio nodded but every person in the room knew that if they ended up coming home tomorrow night, the omega's heart would be broken.


	2. Chapter 2

Tobio tried to ignored the glances they were getting. He was sitting on the train, curled up in Iwaizumi’s side and his hand resting in Oikawa’s. He heard the sounds of disapproval and the way the judging eyes landed on the two mating marks on his neck. He curled closer to Iwaizumi and ducked his head down to hide them a little more and Oikawa’s hand tightened around his at the action.

 

“Alright?” Iwaizumi whispered. Tobio nodded. He felt more than heard the alpha sigh and he shifted just enough so Tobio was mostly blocked from the stares.

 

“Almost there, Tobio-chan!” Oikawa said, forced cheerfulness in his voice. Tobio swallowed hard. He was happy that they were finally getting off of the train, happy that he would be away from the stares, but he was nervous about what was to come. Though he was a bit excited to see Shoyou again. Hell, he was even excited to see Tsukishima. Not to mention Yamaguchi and Hitoka. It had been a few years since the four of them had been together. Usually because they saw each other often and Tobio really couldn’t afford to take the trip out to Tokyo.

 

The train pulled into their station and Oikawa was the first to stand, pulling Tobio up with him. Iwaizumi stood and the three made their way off of the train, Iwaizumi sending a ferocious glare to anyone that looked as if they were getting ready to comment. Tobio sighed deeply when they stood on the platform. As much as he disliked the crowds, it was kind of nice to be somewhere where there were so many people focused on their own destinations that they didn’t pay him and his mates any attention.

 

But maybe that was just because they were in Tokyo.

 

People in Miyagi sure seemed to care.

 

“Tobio-kun!”

 

Tobio turned quickly and a smile flickered across his face as he saw a familiar head of red hair running toward him. He stepped back and braced himself just in time for Shoyou to jump on him, his arms wrapping around his neck as he hugged him tight. “I’m so glad you’re here!” Shoyou yelled, making Tobio wince.

 

“Not so loud, dumbass!”

 

Shoyou laughed loudly and pulled away, a wide smile on his face. “You’re still Tobio-kun!” Shoyou yelled out. He glanced to the side and his smile, if possible, seemed to grow even wider. “Great King! Seijoh’s Ace! Hi!”

 

Iwaizumi chuckled and placed a light hand on Tobio’s lower back. “It’s been a long time since anyone called me that.”

 

“That’s because you’ve gotten old, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa teased.

 

“We’re the same age!”

 

“Shoyou! I told you to wait!” Tsukishima snapped as he came into view. Shoyou seemed to cringe slightly before he sent a wide grin over his shoulder.

 

“But I saw Tobio-kun!”

 

“You knew he was here,” Tsukishima sighed. His golden-brown eyes locked on Tobio for a moment and his lips turned up just slightly in greeting before he looked at Iwaizumi and Oikawa. He bowed his head in acknowledgment. “Iwaizumi-san. Oikawa-san. It is…nice to see you again.”

 

Iwaizumi huffed a laugh. “Sure it is. Tsukishima, right?”

 

“Correct,” Tsukishima murmured and he motioned for them to follow him. “Kuroo-san sent us to take you to the pack house. We wouldn’t want you to get lost.”

 

“It’s appreciated,” Iwaizumi responded. Tobio glanced over his shoulder, a bit worried that Oikawa hadn’t said anything, but the alpha smiled and placed a warm hand between Tobio’s shoulder blades. He and Iwaizumi ushered Tobio to follow Tsukishima and Shoyou, who was rambling on about how excited he was to see Tobio again. Tobio couldn’t help but feel a bit calmed by the other omega’s presence.

 

It really had been too long.

 

Tsukishima led them to a car and Tobio saw Oikawa’s eyebrows rise as he laid eyes on it. Tsukishima, probably seeing the reaction, said, “It’s a pack vehicle. Whoever needs it can use it.” Oikawa nodded and he slid into the back seat, pulling Tobio in beside him. Iwaizumi sat beside Tobio, keeping the omega pressed tightly between him and Oikawa, before closing the door. Tsukishima sat in the driver’s seat with Shoyou in the front passenger’s side. Shoyou instantly turned around. “I’m just so excited you guys are here! You should have seen Hitoka! She was rambling she was so happy. And even Kenma-“

 

“Shoyou, seatbelt.”

 

Shoyou turned slightly and grabbed the seatbelt. “Kenma even started to prepare one of the empty rooms! And he never does that. He usually finds someone else to do it. Keiji said something about-“

 

“Face forward.”

 

“-being happy to see you again. So everyone is really excited!”

 

“I’m not driving until you sit the way you’re supposed to.”

 

“Stingyshima!” Shoyou snapped and Tobio couldn’t help but let out a startled laugh at the familiar nickname.

 

“Such a child,” Tsukishima sighed but he finally began to move the car as Shoyou faced forward in his seat.

 

It really wasn’t a long drive and Tobio soon found himself looking at a large house. Tsukishima pulled up in front of it and turned off the car, barely putting it in park before Shoyou jumped out. “Idiot!” Tsukishima snapped as Shoyou stumbled.

 

“I’m fine!”

 

Tsukishima muttered under his breath as he pushed his door open and got out of the car. Iwaizumi took a deep breath and did the same. Tobio was quick to slide out and Oikawa opened his own door and hurried back toward their sides. Tsukishima led them to the front door and quickly pushed it open. “We’re here!”

 

“Welcome home!” A myriad of voices called. Tobio bit his lip to try and swallow the giddy feeling that engulphed him, both at the words and the familiarity of the voices. He saw Iwaizumi and Oikawa exchange another glance.

 

There were footsteps and then Kuroo and Kenma were walking toward them. Kuroo smiled brightly, though it still looked mischievous and slightly mocking, and bowed. “Hello. I am Kuroo Tetsurou, head alpha of this pack. This is my mate, Kuroo Kenma.”

 

Kenma bowed quickly, avoiding both Iwaizumi and Oikawa’s eyes, but he glanced up at Tobio quickly and Tobio could see the welcome on his face.

 

“I am Oikawa Tooru. These are my mates Iwaizumi Hajime and Kageyama Tobio.” Kuroo’s eyebrows rose and Tobio felt himself flush. He knew what the older man was thinking. But he didn’t ask and none of them offered the explanation.

 

“Nice to meet you,” Kuroo said smoothly. “Hello again, Kageyama-kun.”

 

“Tobio,” Tobio said quickly, fighting back a wince at the name. “Nice to see you, Kuroo-san.”

 

Kuroo smiled again and gestured toward the doorway. “We have food prepared and the rest of the pack is waiting. If you will follow me.” They did as instructed and Tobio couldn’t help but relax when he walked into a room of familiar faces. “Tobio-kun, I think you know everyone here,” Tobio nodded. “Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-san, let me introduce you.” Kuroo quickly went through introductions, starting with Bokuto and Akaashi. Bokuto was seated next to the chair at the head of the table, Akaashi beside him. Next to Akaashi was Tsukishima and Hinata. Across from Hinata sat Hitoka with Yamaguchi across from Tsukishima. Yaku was beside Yamaguchi and Lev on his side, next to the other empty chair that Tobio assumed to be Kenma’s. He was proven correct when Kenma slid into the open seat.

 

There were four open chairs, two beside Hinata and two next to Hitoka. Kuroo told them to take a seat and Tobio’s alphas exchanged another glance before Iwaizumi’s hand landed on Tobio’s lower back yet again. He ushered Tobio to the seat beside Hinata and sat in the empty seat beside him, situating himself at the end of the table. Oikawa slowly sat in the seat across from Tobio, giving the nervous Hitoka a small smile. She squeaked and Yamaguchi chuckled as his mate burrowed into his side.

 

Kuroo’s plate was filled first and then everyone else moved in on the food. Tobio made sure both of his alpha’s plates were full. They had both been sneaking their portions over to him for the past week and he wasn’t about to lose the chance of them getting to eat their fill. Especially with such good looking food.

  
He really couldn’t remember the last time they had been able to afford meat.

 

“So we usually use these dinners as a way to get to know those that want to become part of the pack,” Kuroo said once everyone had food on their plates. “So, let’s start of easy. Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-san, the two of you played volleyball in high school, correct?”

 

Iwaizumi chewed quickly and nodded. “We did. And you don’t have to use honorifics. Oikawa and Iwaizumi are fine.” Kuroo inclined his head. “Oikawa played setter and I was a wing spiker. We both continued in university for a while but…”

 

“But I blew out my knee in my second year,” Oikawa cut in, his voice slightly colder than usual. Tobio sent him a pleading glance. He wanted this to go well. “Iwa-chan stopped playing when his course load got too large for him to continue.”

 

“I remember you!” Bokuto said loudly, shifting in his seat as his eyes fixed on Oikawa. “Killer serve. We played you during my first year! We lost.” He frowned as he said the words.

 

“I remember you as well,” Oikawa commented, his eyes glinting. “Very strong spike. I heard you’re on the national team, Bokuto-san.”

 

“Just Bokuto! And yeah! It’s great! It’s all I ever wanted to do-“

 

“I am sorry to hear about your knee, Oikawa-san. I remember watching you play during that match. I was very impressed,” Keiji said solemnly, cutting his alpha off. “I did not have the talent you possess but I was a setter in high school as well. It is how Koutarou and I met.”

 

“Yeah!” Bokuto hooted. “But he wouldn’t play with me in college.”

 

“I wouldn’t have made the team, Koutarou,” Keiji sighed like they had had this conversation many times. Judging by the groan that echoed around the table, Tobio was going to assume that they had.

 

“Don’t say that-“

 

“Bo,” Kuroo said quickly, wincing as Bokuto’s voice hit a pitch that should have been impossible for the man. Bokuto sighed and pouted his lips. Keiji rolled his eyes and leaned into his alpha’s side.

 

“How did the three of you meet?” Yaku asked curiously. No, that wasn’t right. Morisuke. He was mated and an omega, so he took Lev’s name. Or maybe they called him Haiba since everyone used Lev’s given name. He would have to wait and see what someone else called him.

 

“We went to junior high together,” Iwaizumi said shortly.

 

“Yeah, but Oikawa-san and King hated each other,” Tsukishima pointed out, his head tilting to the side so he could eye the three of them. “Shoyou told me that you three mated but he never really said how it happened.”

 

Tobio blushed and avoided Tsukishima’s gaze. “I went to school with Iwaizumi,” he said, his voice barely loud enough for the table to hear him. “We played on the team together.”

 

Iwaizumi reached over and twined his hand around Tobio’s. “Have to admit, Tobio and I weren’t really close. He always seemed a bit more obsessed with Oikawa,” Tobio sent him a glare at the familiar jab, “but we ended up talking a lot. Oikawa was no longer on the team and he wasn’t exactly happy that I was playing with Tobio.”

 

“I hated it,” Oikawa said bluntly, shrugging his shoulders and staring at everyone challengingly as they looked his way. “I loved volleyball. I wanted to play. And I had been terrified since I met Tobio-chan that he would take my place. Then I blew out my knee and Iwa-chan was playing with him…it seemed like my worst fear was coming true.”

 

There were nods around the table. Tobio let out a breath of relief. He had been a bit worried about the reactions to those words.

 

“Oikawa and I were…well, we had planned on mating when we graduated,” Iwaizumi admitted, his cheeks turning a startling shade of red. “It’s not exactly common, two alphas together but…we’d always kind of known that it would happen. We told our parents when we graduated from Aoba Johsai and-“

 

“And it was a good thing we both got sports scholarships to pay for school,” Oikawa said bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“They didn’t approve?” Keiji questioned, his brows furrowing.

 

Oikawa snorted. “To put it lightly.”

 

“Anyway,” Iwaizumi cleared his throat. He never liked talking about their families. “Things got a bit complicated when I realized that I was drawn to Tobio.”

  
“A bit,” Oikawa commented wryly.

 

“A lot,” Iwaizumi admitted. “But then Oikawa got over himself-“

 

“Oi!”

 

“And he realized that I wasn’t the only one that had feelings for Tobio.” He let out a deep breath and squeezed Tobio’s hand. “It was a mess for a while but we worked it out. We did a three way courtship and decided to bond once Tobio graduated.”

 

“The two of you are two years older than Tobio-kun, correct?” Keiji questioned with interest. “You had been planning on bonding when you graduated but waited an extra two years so Tobio could complete the bond as well?”

 

Tobio scowled at the mention of the mating. Oikawa rolled his eyes. “As you can tell, Tobio-chan didn’t really like the decision. But I wanted us to be steady before we bonded,” he said the last bitterly and Tobio’s glare faded. “I guess it didn’t really matter.”

 

“Why?”

 

Everyone turned toward Kenma. He blinked and stared somewhere over Tobio’s head. “Why didn’t it matter?”

 

Tobio flinched and looked down at his plate. “Because too many people think the same way as our parents,” Oikawa replied, his voice monotone. “Even if we’re qualified for whatever position we apply for, the second they see the marks,” he tilted his head slightly, showing off the two bite marks, “we are no longer fit for the position. I have a degree in astrophysics. The only job I could find was giving tours at the planetarium. And that’s only if I wear a shirt that covers my marks.”

 

“I went to med school,” Iwaizumi sighed, wincing as every eye turned to him in surprise. “I was doing my residency when we completed the bond. The hospital terminated my residency because I was an “improper role model”. A med degree without a residency is mostly useless. When I try to find other work, they tell me I’m over qualified or that I’m not ‘appropriate for the position’.”

 

The pack stared at the two in shocked surprise and a few of them began to huff indignantly. Tobio bit his lip. He knew what was coming. He didn’t want to talk about it. He never did. But…but if they were going to stay here, they needed to know. Right? He glanced at Shoyou and saw his friend giving him an encouraging smile. Beyond his mates, Shoyou was the only person that knew the story.

 

He took a deep breath. “I was offered a position on the National Omega league,” Tobio admitted. He saw Yamaguchi and Hitoka’s mouths fall open in shock. Kuroo blinked frantically. Kenma and Keiji frowned at him in confusion. Tsukishima looked at Shoyou. But Tobio saw Bokuto’s face. He saw the dawning understanding. He pushed on. “I signed the contract and had practiced with the team for a month before one of my teammates mentioned my mates to the coach. They revoked the contract because of ‘improper conduct’.” Gasps rang throughout the room and Bokuto’s head dropped. Tobio had no doubt that the alpha had heard the rumors of the omega that had been forced off the team. “I – I have a degree in education. But…”

 

“But no one will hire him for the same reason they wont hire Iwa-chan. Because of the improper role model excuse,” Oikawa snarled down at the table, his hands fisted on the table. “It isn’t like he’s going to corrupt the kids and-“ Oikawa snapped his mouth shut and squeezed his eyes shut, breathing deeply.

 

“That’s horrible!” Hitoka wailed, tears streaming down her face. “I am so sorry, Tobio-kun! I – I know how much you…” she began to cry loudly and Yamaguchi was quick to wrap her in a hug.

 

“It is,” Keiji murmured, his eyes sympathetic. “I am truly sorry the three of you have had to go through that.”

 

“It’s disgusting,” Morisuke snapped angrily. 

 

“Well,” Kuroo cleared his throat and glanced around the table as if he was looking for something. He seemed to have found it and he smiled slightly as he stood. “Iwaizumi, Oikawa, you want to come with me and we can discuss things a bit more? I’m sure Tobio wants to catch up.”

 

Oikawa and Iwaizumi glanced down at Tobio and he nodded quickly. They both smiled, though they were smaller smiles than they usually wore, and followed Kuroo out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Here I am again...I hope you all enjoy this chapter! One thing, I'm going to be gone this weekend for a con and won't be returning until Monday, so don't expect any updates from me this weekend. :)

Tobio watched his mates disappear through the door and then he slumped in his chair. He had no idea what to expect or if they were going to agree to join the pack.

 

Or if they were even wanted now that everything had been revealed.

 

“Tobio-kun, how about we box some of this up and you can take it with you?” Keiji asked quietly, gesturing to the uneaten food on the table. “We always have so much left over.”

 

Tobio bit his lip. There were so many things sitting on the table – he could easily make a weeks’ worth of meals and none of them would be left hungry. “I – thank you,” he murmured, bowing his head in the older omega’s direction. Keiji just waved his hand and picked up some of the bowls.

 

“I’ll help!” Shoyou yelled, grabbing a few items as well. Tobio stood, preparing to help them clean, but Kenma stared him down from the other end of the table. Tobio knew without the other man saying a word what he wanted. Tobio sighed and sat back in the chair. Tsukishima’s lips twitched in amusement.

 

“I can show you around, Tobio-kun!” Hitoka squeaked. Her eyes shot from Tobio to Kenma and back again as the older omega bowed his head in agreement. “Just in case you- I mean, you’re always welcome to visit! Even if you don’t – but you should know where everything is! And-“

 

“Make sure you show him the bedroom we prepared, Hitoka,” Kenma said quietly. His eyes met Tobio’s once again and the omega smiled slightly as he stood and cleared away some of the dishes. “I am hoping they will at least stay the night. I believe their bags are in the foyer,” he said the words pointedly toward Bokuto who was quick to jump to his feet.

 

“I got it!”

 

“I’m sure you do,” Kenma sighed as the alpha ran from the room. Tsukishima didn’t bother to hold back his mocking laughter this time. Kenma’s lips quirked as he disappeared into the kitchen.

 

“Come on, Tobio-kun!” Hitoka smiled, seeming more relaxed now that most of the people had disappeared. Tobio stood and followed the smaller girl out of the dining room. She sighed. “I always hate those formal dinners,” she confided as they walked down the hallway. “It’s traditions so we do it whenever we have to but it’s usually a lot more relaxed. Oh, I hope you all end up staying! It would be so nice to see you more often!”

 

Tobio couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face at the words. He had missed his friends from high school. They really didn’t meet up often and the messages to one another had slowed over the years, but Tobio still considered them the closest friends he ever had.

 

Even Tsukishima.

 

“So,” Hitoka gestured toward the wide room they were entering. “This is the pack den. You saw the formal living room when you walked in,” she scrunched up her nose, “we never use it unless we have to. It’s much comfier in here.” She was right. The main room they had walked into earlier was all sterile, with white furniture and glass tables. This room had plush, worn furniture, warm colored woods, a television with multiple gaming devices (Tobio was going to bet those were Kenma’s influence), and even a gaming table off to the side. “We usually all hang out in here. Just to spend time together. It’s nice,” she said wistfully, a small smile crossing her face. She then led Tobio back into the hallway and entered the next room. A large library with more armchairs and a table greeted him. “Kuroo-san, Keiji, and Mori are in here a lot. You would be welcome as well…” she trailed off at the look on Tobio’s face and quickly covered her mouth as she giggled. “Sorry! I guess that hasn’t changed since high school!”

 

“Hajime and Tooru would love it,” Tobio said quietly, already imagining his alphas in the room, curled up together on one of the armchairs with books in their hands. He quickly shook his head and took a deep breath. That wasn’t something he should be imagining. Not until he knew for sure that this was going to work out.

 

“There’s only a few more rooms on this floor,” Hitoka told him. “You saw the formal living room, the kitchen, and the dining room. The only other things down here are a bathroom and Kuroo-san’s office. That’s where he conducts pack business – I’m sure that’s where he is now with Iwaizumi-san and Oikawa-san.” Tobio nodded to show his understanding and Hitoka led him toward a large staircase. The top of the stairs opened up to another little sitting area and then broke off into two hallways. “Down the right hall is Kuroo-san and Kenma’s room, then Bokuto-san and Keiji’s, a bathroom, and Lev and Mori’s room. There’s an extra room there as well. And this way,” she started walking down the left hallway, “this is Tsukishima and Shoyou’s room. Beside it is my and Tadashi’s,” she blushed. “And the bathroom is at the end of the hall. There are two empty rooms across from us. I think Kenma said he put you in,” she pushed open the first door on the left and smiled in satisfaction. “Here.”

 

Tobio looked inside curiously and felt his mouth drop. He was sure that this room was the size of their entire apartment. The bed itself was bigger than what they stuffed themselves into each night. There was two dressers, a desk, and even a small armchair in the corner. And plenty of space to add whatever else they thought they needed. Or wanted. “I hope it’s okay!” Hitoka fussed, biting her lip. “I mean, Shoyou had been hinting for months that you guys might come and Kenma wanted to make sure the bed was big enough. This room is one of the biggest in the house and –“

 

“You didn’t have to do that,” Tobio whispered, his voice breaking a little at the thought. They hadn’t even known that Tobio would be able to get Oikawa and Iwaizumi to agree. Why would they prepare a room specifically for them? Especially a room like this?

 

“Of course we did!” Hitoka said, sounding offending that he had even questioned it. “Tobio-kun, Shoyou told Kenma that you were wanting to join even before Tadashi and I decided to come into the pack. This room has been waiting for ages.”

 

Tobio bit his lip and took a few unsteady steps forward, sinking down onto the bed. He vaguely noticed that his bag, along with Iwaizumi’s and Oikawa’s was sitting beside the bed. “That- I had only mentioned it briefly –“

 

Hitoka smiled, “Shoyou didn’t tell us much. He only said that he thought you guys needed a pack and that he hoped you would at least visit. But – well, we all knew that you were mated to Oikawa-san and Iwaizumi-san. And with the way people treat others…” she trailed off and sighed, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh! I’m sorry! I just – I knew that things had to be hard but I had no idea! I would have helped if I had known! You had wanted to make the team so badly and –“

 

“It’s fine,” Tobio quickly assured her. It wasn’t, it would never be, but he didn’t want to think about it. “If I – if I have to choose between my alphas and playing on the team, I will always choose them. I don’t regret it.”

 

“Neither do we.” Tobio snapped his head to the side and blinked in surprise as his mates stepped into the room. Iwaizumi was quick to move to Tobio and wrap an arm around his waist, kissing the top of his head. Oikawa’s eyes flickered around the room, taking in each and every detail, before he joined them.

 

“I didn’t know you were there,” Tobio muttered, a bit pink to know that he had missed his alphas nearing them.

 

“Apparently,” Oikawa teased, his hand tangling with Tobio’s as he sat beside him on the bed.

 

“We will let you three have a minute,” Kuroo said from the doorway, giving them a smile and a wink. Tobio blushed brighter. “You’re free to join us downstairs whenever you want.”

 

“Thank you,” Oikawa murmured, bowing his head just slightly. Kuroo winked yet again and motioned for Hitoka to leave the room. The younger woman did, waving at Tobio nervously as she disappeared and closed the door behind her.

 

“Well,” Iwaizumi sighed as he looked around for the first time. “This is…nice.”

 

“Very,” Oikawa mused, his shoulders slumping. “I don’t know how we could refuse after seeing this.”

 

The words sent panic through Tobio’s mind and his hand tightened around Oikawa’s as he turned toward his alpha quickly. But Oikawa was already shaking his head, his thump making soothing motions on Tobio’s hand. “That isn’t what I meant, Tobio-chan.”

 

“We wanted to talk things over with you before we made a final decision,” Iwaizumi said gently as his arm tightened around Tobio’s shoulders. “Tooru just meant that it would be hard to give something like this up. Knowing that we couldn’t give this to you on our own-“

 

“That isn’t-“ Tobio started furiously.

 

“We know,” Oikawa soothed. “Being in a pack gives certain…perks? Is that the word I want?”

 

“Um,” Iwaizumi sighed. “Close. Benefits.”

 

“Right,” Oikawa nodded. “Certain benefits. Benefits like Kuroo being able to file a grievance on our behalf for discrimination. We probably can’t get you onto the team,” he gave a sheepish, sad smile, “but maybe a teaching job. And Iwaizumi might be able to finish his residency or find another position. Just having a pack is usually enough to stop some of the things we’ve been dealing with.”

 

“But there are other things we should think about,” Iwaizumi told Tobio as the younger man was ready to tell them he wanted to join. “As you said, all the money goes into a pack fund. Every pairing gets a set amount of money each month to use as they see fit but if anyone wants something more expensive, it has to be agreed to by the majority. You were right that Hitoka does most of the cooking but Keiji helps when he can. There is a schedule for going grocery shopping each week but if you want something specific that is just yours, something you don’t want to share, it comes out of your own allowance. Like Tooru’s milkbread.”

 

“Worth it!” Oikawa sang out, his eyes dancing. Tobio felt a pang of remorse. Milkbread was one of the things they hadn’t been able to afford for the past few years. He and Iwaizumi were always able to get Oikawa some around his birthday and other special occasions but it just wasn’t something in the budget regularly.

 

“And you won’t be spending our entire monthly allowance on it,” Iwaizumi sighed.

 

Oikawa’s face turned serious as he reached around Tobio to run his free hand over Iwaizumi’s cheek. “I know. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years, it’s how to manage money.” He grinned bitterly and Iwaizumi’s jaw tightened.

 

“So…does that mean you guys want to do this?” Tobio questioned, noticing that Iwaizumi had just hinted at a future with the pack.

 

Oikawa and Iwaizumi exchanged a glance. “Do you?” Oikawa finally asked, as if he didn’t already know the answer. Tobio nodded furiously and both of the alphas laughed. “Alright then. I guess we can talk to Kuroo about it. We’ll need to return home to settle some things,” he informed Tobio, making him deflate slightly, “but I’m sure we can clear everything up quickly.” Tobio bit his lip happily and Oikawa shook his head in exasperation as he stood and stretched his arms over his head. He looked around the room once more. “This really is something. It’s like they were planning for us to be here,” he looked at Tobio knowingly and Tobio flushed and quickly averted his eyes.

  
“Stop teasing him, Trashykawa,” Iwaizumi sighed but clear amusement rang throughout his voice.

 

“But Iwa-chan! They didn’t have time to prepare this room in a day!”

 

“We both know they’ve been waiting for us to call for months,” Iwaizumi chuckled and Tobio’s face burned yet again. “Come on, let’s head downstairs and see this pack room. We came straight up here when we finished speaking to Kuroo,” Iwaizumi explained as Tobio looked at him in surprise.

 

Tobio’s lips turned up slightly. “Oh. It’s…really cool,” he admitted. “There’s all these games and huge couches…and you have to see the library!” he said quickly, jumping to his feet and pulling on Iwaizumi’s hand.

 

“Library?” Oikawa questioned. “You seem oddly excited about a library, Tobio-chan.”

 

Tobio rolled his eyes. “Not for me. You two will love it.”

 

Oikawa’s face softened and he pressed a quick kiss to Tobio’s lips. “Alright. Show us around, Tobio-chan.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I got back from the con on Monday and promptly got strep throat. Yay me. But I'm feeling better and ready to start writing again! 
> 
> I do have a story for all of you - Saturday night my friend and I were in the hotel and we needed napkins (I had brought us some food). I left the hotel room to go to the lobby and when I did, I heard the door right next to us open and close. I didn't look toward the person because I'm awkward and didn't want to make eye contact. I got to the lobby and grabbed the napkins and turned around - only to see a group of people cosplaying as Haikyuu!! characters. Tsukishima, Kuroo, Kenma, Oikawa, Hinata...I wanted to take a picture but realized I left my phone in the room. They all just walked out the door while I was standing there with my mouth hanging open. Sigh. So many things that could have been done...lol.

Tobio really wished they didn’t have to go back home. He knew there were things that they needed to finish and taken care of before they could officially move to Tokyo and be part of the pack…but he almost wished he had been able to stay there while his mates went back to Miyagi. The three of them were on edge, all of them shifting around uncertainly with the sudden change in their lives. More than once, Tobio had walked in on Iwaizumi and Oikawa having a conversation they obviously didn’t want him to be apart of, considering the way they both stopped talking and looked guilty when they caught sight of him. Tobio was growing more and more frustrated as the week went on and he just wanted to know what was making them act this way. This was the same thing they had done back when the three of them first mated and they didn’t want to admit the problems they were facing. It had taken months for them to admit to Tobio that Iwaizumi had lost his residency and Oikawa was having trouble finding a position. And they had only admitted it when Tobio lost his spot on the National Omega Volleyball Team.

 

The familiar anger and disappointment rushed through Tobio’s body at the thought and he scowled as he tossed the shirt his was folding into a box. He didn’t want to think about that.

 

But he did want to know what was going on with his alphas.

 

If they weren’t going to tell him they should have just left him in Tokyo.

 

“How’s the packing going?” Iwaizumi questioned as he stepped inside the cramped bedroom.

 

Tobio glanced up from where he was packing their clothes and sent a pointed glare toward the alpha. Iwaizumi chuckled in response. “Yeah, that’s what I figured.”

 

“How was the-“

 

“Not happy,” Iwaizumi admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. Tobio bit his lip. Oikawa had gone to the planetarium to work one of his final shifts and Iwaizumi had decided to tackle their landlord. A stern alpha that was never happy with anything the three of them did, Tobio was always grateful she let them rent their small apartment at all. Many places they had tried before had taken one look at the three of them and suddenly didn’t have anything available. And that was the nice ones. The others had merely laughed and slammed doors in their faces. “But she agreed to let us out of the lease as long as we pay an extra month’s rent-“

 

Tobio’s head snapped to the side and his mouth dropped. “We don’t have-“

 

“We do,” Iwaizumi sighed. Tobio just stared at him, imploring him to explain. Iwaizumi seemed to be debating on whether to explain further but his shoulders eventually fell a bit and he let out a large breath. “Kuroo lent us the money and has agreed that our monthly stipend will be lowered a bit each month until we pay it off. Even with the payment taken out, the amount we get will be more than we’re used to having.”

 

Tobio stared at him with the thoughts swirling around in his head. He wasn’t sure what to think about that. He was happy that they were going to be able to get out of the lease without any real consequences and that they had the money to cover what the landlord was asking for. But on the other hand, he wasn’t happy that they were barrowing money from the pack before they had even really joined. They were going into the pack in debt.

 

And they really had enough of that already.

 

“Don’t be so worried,” Iwaizumi said quickly, wrapping his strong arms around Tobio’s waist and pulling him against the alpha’s chest. Tobio turned into the embrace, resting his head on the alpha’s shoulder. “I know the situation isn’t ideal but everything will work out. It always does.” Tobio’s jaw clenched. That wasn’t true. It didn’t always work out. Look at the fact that neither of them were working. That Oikawa slaved away each day in a job he was way overqualified for because no one else would accept the fact that he was mated to another alpha _and_ an omega.  Oikawa had plenty of trouble with his family growing up and he wasn’t surprised or overly upset by the fact that they hadn’t bothered to contact him since their mating but Iwaizumi and Tobio were different. Iwaizumi had been close to his father, mother, and younger brother. But his parents had threatened to cut off contact if Iwaizumi mated with Oikawa. From what Tobio understood, Iwaizumi had thought that they would calm down with time.

 

They hadn’t.

 

Tobio and his parents weren’t very close when he was growing up but they had always supported him in their own way. He had honestly thought that the support would continue no matter what he did. That was what they had always told him. But…but they hadn’t liked it when he told them about Oikawa and Iwaizumi. To this day, Tobio wasn’t sure if they had been angry because of the fact he had mated with two alphas or because of who those alphas _were_. Tobio had admitted to his parents about his issues during junior high. He had talked about Oikawa and their rivalry. He had spoken about Oikawa’s closest friend. And…and his parents hadn’t been happy to know that he was mating with the two of them. They had told him that it was a dangerous thing to do. That he would lose everything that he had worked for.

 

He hadn’t believed them.

 

And now, he wasn’t sure if he believed his alpha.

 

“Tobio?”

 

“I should keep packing,” Tobio said calmly as he stepped away from his alpha.

 

“We aren’t planning on going back to Tokyo until this weekend-“

 

“Better to get it done,” Tobio snapped. He closed his eyes the second the words left his mouth. Iwaizumi didn’t deserve that. It was Tobio’s idea to go to the pack. Oikawa and Iwaizumi had trusted him in doing so. They were sacrificing their own independence, in a way, to do this. Joining this pack and admitting their failures was difficult. Tobio knew that Oikawa, in particular, hated it. But Iwaizumi wasn’t exactly thrilled. And having to ask for money just so they can get out of their lease was an admission of that failure. But they had done it. “Sorry,” Tobio breathed out when the silence lasted too long.

 

“I know,” Iwaizumi responded but he didn’t meet Tobio’s gaze. “Just – just don’t pack it all, yeah? Tooru might get irritated if he only has dirty clothes to wear.”

 

Tobio cracked a smile at the mental image and nodded his head. Iwaizumi’s lips twitched up and he leaned forward and pressed a kiss on the top of Tobio’s head before he turned and left the room. Tobio closed his eyes once more.

 

He really should have just stayed in Tokyo.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I've finished school and back ready to write again! I hope you enjoy this (short) chapter!

Things were awkward the rest of the week and Tobio was happy when they finally found themselves back in Tokyo. To their surprise, Bokuto was waiting for them at the train station, waving his hand around frantically as soon as he saw them. “Hello, Bokuto-san,” Tobio greeted as the three made their way over to the owl-like man.

 

“Tobio! Oikawa, Iwaizumi! I thought you might need help getting to the pack house!” Bokuto said loudly, reaching down and grabbing one of the many bags the group had lugged with them from Miyagi. “The car is better than trying to carry all this the entire way.”

 

“Thank you,” Iwaizumi said politely as Bokuto began to lead the way to the parked car.

 

“No problem,” Bokuto exclaimed.

 

They packed their bags into the back of the car and Iwaizumi slid into the front seat beside the other alpha as Oikawa and Tobio slipped into the back. Oikawa reached over to grab onto Tobio’s hand, pulling him until Tobio let out a sigh of irritation and moved into the middle seat. “Alright, time to tell me what’s going on,” Oikawa said lowly as Iwaizumi and Bokuto began a conversation about Bokuto’s last game.

 

“What?”

 

“Don’t pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about,” Oikawa sighed. His free hand moved to Tobio’s face, tilting his chin up so they made eye contact. Tobio shifted his eyes to the side, not meeting the warm brown ones in front of him. “Tobio-chan, what’s going on?”

 

Tobio bit his lip, not wanting to get into this conversation, especially here, but knowing that Oikawa wouldn’t give up meant that it was better to do this now instead of when they arrived at the house. He let out a sigh. “What have you and Hajime been whispering about?” he finally asked, meeting Oikawa’s eyes for the first time that week.

 

Oikawa blinked frantically. “Is that why you’ve been so upset?”

 

Tobio scowled at the words. It felt as though Oikawa thought he was overreacting. He wasn’t. “You two are keeping something from me again.”

 

Realization spread across Oikawa’s face and he closed his eyes briefly. “Of course that would be it. Tobio-chan, can you just trust us? I promise that it isn’t anything bad.”  


Tobio shifted his gaze yet again. “If it isn’t anything bad, why are you-“

 

“Because we don’t want to get your hopes up,” Oikawa admitted. Tobio frowned. So it all came back to them wanting to protect him, _again_.

 

“But-“

 

“I promise that we’ll tell you tomorrow night,” Oikawa said firmly, leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss against Tobio’s lips. Tobio scowled. “Please?”

 

Oh, that wasn’t _fair_. “Fine.”

 

A bright smile broke out on Oikawa’s face and his arm slipped around Tobio’s shoulder. “Good. Now, stop the frowning, Tobio-chan. You’re going to give yourself wrinkles.”

 

“I am not!”

 

“Everything alright back there?” Iwaizumi asked, turning slightly and raising his eyebrows at the two of them.

 

“Fine, Iwa-chan!”

 

“Right, like I believe you.”

 

“Rude!”

 

The car pulled up in front of the house and Tobio took a deep breath as everyone climbed out of the car. This was it. This was the first time they were actually walking into a _home_. They had been here as visitors. They used to live in a cramped apartment. But this… it felt like this was the first time where they actually had somewhere to belong. He felt his eyes fill with tears and his throat began to burn with the thought. He quickly ran a hand over his face and took a deep, steadying breath. Right. He could do this.

 

He slid out of the car and stared at the house for a moment. He was really here. They were really doing this. Over the past week, he had begun to wonder if the reason Oikawa and Iwaizumi were whispering constantly was because they were going to change their minds about joining the pack. He wasn’t really aware that the thought had stayed with him until that moment. That moment where they were finally going to move in.

 

“Tobio-chan?”

 

Tobio turned quickly toward the questioning voice and saw his mates loaded down with bags. Bokuto was carrying a fair amount as well but by the pout on his face, Tobio figured the other had wanted to carry more of their bags and his mates had put a stop to it. Tobio peered into the trunk and saw only one bag left. He rolled his eyes and grabbed it, knowing that arguing at this point would be pointless. The four made their way to the house and Bokuto let out a loud hooting sound as the door was pushed open. “Welcome home!”

 

Tobio jumped and his mouth dropped open as he took in the mass of people crowded in the front room. “Wh-“

 

“Don’t look so shocked, Bakayama,” Hinata said, bouncing over and throwing his arms around Tobio. Tobio wasn’t sure what emotion overtook him at the name. The fact that he was still _Kageyama_ had been a sore point for years and Hinata knew it. But he couldn’t remember the last time Hinata had referred to him as Bakayama – probably when they were still in high school. “We wanted to welcome you guys home!”

 

“Oh,” Tobio uttered as Hinata pulled away. Hitoka was there only a second later, pulling him gently toward her. Tobio hugged her back just as softly.

 

“We have food prepared,” Hitoka said softly.

 

“We thought we could play volleyball later too!” Hinata called, jumping up and down.

 

“I’ll sit out,” Kenma volunteered quickly and many in the room began to laugh. Even Tobio’s lips twitched. Despite the fact that the other setter had seemed to enjoy himself during his third-year, he grew tired quickly and only played occasionally.

 

“Can you play, Great King?” Hinata called.

 

Tobio glanced over his shoulder at his mate. Oikawa had his lips pursed and he leaned slightly to the side, testing his weight on his bad knee. “I think one game would be okay.”  


“Yes!” Bokuto hooted, pumping his fist into the air. “I’ve wanted to play with you since we played you in college!”

 

Oikawa smiled sharply and Iwaizumi shook his head. “I think we would all like to play,” he glanced around the group and frowned. “There are a lot of setters…”

 

“I won’t be playing,” Keiji cut in. Tobio glanced over at the omega and he smiled as he placed a hand on his stomach. “This group gets a bit rowdy and I don’t want to risk it.”

 

Tobio’s mouth dropped open and shock overcame him. “You’re-“

 

“I am,” Keiji agreed as Bokuto bounded toward his mate and wrapped him in a hug, pressing his hands against Keiji’s stomach.

 

“Congratulations!” Tobio breathed out, his eyes locked onto Keiji’s stomach.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Tobio’s mates gave their congratulations as well and then the group dispersed as the three moved up to their new bedroom. It was agreed that they would take a few minutes to drop their belongings off and do whatever they needed to do (Tobio _really_ needed to use the bathroom) and then they would move outback where they had a small court set up. “Ready to play against me, Tobio-kun?” Oikawa teased as they placed their bags on the floor.

 

“I’m going to win.”

 

“Probably,” Oikawa agreed, shrugging his shoulders as both Iwaizumi and Tobio turned to him in surprise. “What? I have never played or even seen half of these people play. And I haven’t spent much time on the court the last few years. I’m more than a bit rusty. On top of that, I’m sure if I push myself too hard games like this will be impossible for me in the future,” he said, motioning down to his leg. “I suppose we’ll have to see what happens.”

 

“We’ll ice your knee when we’re done,” Iwaizumi said instantly, a worried frown pulling at his mouth as he eyed Oikawa’s knee. “We still have that brace, don’t we?”

 

“We do,” Tobio said quickly, grabbing hold of one of the bags and pulling out various knee pads and Oikawa’s brace. He handed it over and Oikawa held it almost delicately before smiling. “Right. Well, I suppose we should change and head out. I’m sure they’re waiting for us.”

 

Tobio nodded and he hurried to the bathroom as his mates began to change. He did the same once he was back and the three made their way down the stairs and to the back of the house. The yard was small, really just big enough for the makeshift court, but none of them minded. The others were already out there, talking quietly amongst themselves. “So, teams!” Kuroo said as they stepped out. He turned mischievous eyes onto the three new arrivals. “Obviously, Tobio and Oikawa are going to be our setters. Shrimpy wants to be on Tobio’s team.”

 

“Yeah!” Hinata yelled out, punching up into the air. Tobio smiled. It had been a long time since he and Hinata played together.  It would be fun to see if they could still pull of their freak quick.

 

“Bokuto wants to be on Oikawa’s team,” Kuroo continued, rolling his eyes. Oikawa sent a smile toward Bokuto as the other motioned challengingly toward Hinata. “I suppose the rest of us should just split-“

 

“Kuroo and Tsukishima need to be separated,” Yaku declared. “Kuroo taught Tsukishima his blocking style and the two are just annoying if they’re together,” he explained to Oikawa and Iwaizumi.

 

“I’m playing against Shoyou,” Tsukishima said simply, coming over to stand next to a surprised Oikawa and Bokuto. Hinata yelped loudly and glared at his mate but Tsukishima just smirked in return. “Plus, I want to play against the King.”

 

“Guess I’m with you,” Kuroo chuckled, clapping a hand down on Tobio’s shoulder.

 

Tobio met Iwaizumi’s eyes and motioned toward Oikawa. Iwaizumi frowned. Tobio motioned again. He knew that his mate was having trouble deciding where he was supposed to go, who he was supposed to support. But Iwaizumi and Oikawa hadn’t played together since high school and Tobio knew that Oikawa would appreciate the familiarity right now. Iwaizumi must have seen his determination because he nodded his head and stepped over to Oikawa’s side. Oikawa seemed surprised but he sent a thankful smile to both Iwaizumi and Tobio.

 

“Mori!” Kuroo yelled out, motioning for the libero to join them. Mori shrugged and did so. Bokuto growled.

 

“We need a libero!”

 

“Tadashi,” Tsukishima called. Yamaguchi, who was better at receiving than Lev, nodded and hurried toward the group. Lev, who was the only one left undecided, moved to stand beside Hinata and Kuroo with a bright smile.

 

“The ace is here!”

 

“You wish!” Hinata yelled back.

 

“Calm down, you’re both pretty,” Kuroo soothed, rolling his eyes. He turned toward Tobio with a smirk. “Show us what you’ve got, Tobio-kun. I have to admit, I’m a bit excited.”

 

Tobio flushed. “I – thank you, Kuroo-san.”

 

“Alright,” Keiji called, drawing everyone’s attention toward him. He was sitting beside the door, Kenma and Hitoka at his side. “Just a short set before dinner. You all ready?”

 

“Yes!”

 

Tobio met Oikawa’s eye across the net and they stared at each other challengingly yet playfully. “Ready, Tobio-kun?” Hinata questioned.

 

“Ready.”


End file.
